Gold and Black
by Navybluesnail
Summary: Elsa's older sister runs off because she is consumed with fear and doesn't believe that she can deal with the responsibility of becoming a queen, especially after Elsa and her new friend Jack find out that they have magical ice powers. They go after her, but face obstacles along the way. Sandman struggles which the fight with Pitch, but then people start to see the light. Jelsa:)
1. Chapter 1

Elsa

I could hardly believe it! The excitement built up inside me and I could hardly contain it. The day of my sister Anna's coronation had finally come; the day I had been waiting almost my entire life for was there! I wasn't exactly sure why it had to be held in the winter, but that wasn't really important to me, mainly at that time, when I was focused on Anna. I would finally have the chance to talk to her after many years of her running away to hide in her room. Or at least, it seemed like she was avoiding something, or maybe someone. Especially after my parents' death...

Well, the point is that I was thrilled to have a chance to talk to my sister for the first time in what felt like forever. As soon as I was woken up and reminded of what day it was, I hurriedly got dressed and styled my hair as quickly as I possibly could. I raced down the steps, and as soon as I noticed that the gates were beginning to open, I ran though them, delighted at the thought of leaving the castle after so many years.

Earlier, I would have stayed locked up inside my home, trying, and failing, to get her to talk to me. I usually would ask her if she wanted to build a snowman, because that was what I mainly remembered us doing when we were once kids, and friends. Sadly, the only answer I got out of her was silence, or being told to go away.

But, finally, I decided to go out of the castle and make friends, which was something I hadn't done in many years. I made a few feeble attempts to converse with passersby, but everyone seemed too busy even to notice that the princess of Arendelle was trying to talk to them. Thankfully, I came across a young man about my age who didn't seem too busy being caught up in his thoughts to notice me. He had spiky brown hair, eyes the color of chocolate, and pale skin that was just barely a shade darker that mine. He was wearing a chestnut cloak, along with similarly colored gloves, pants, and boots.

"Uh, hello," I said as I awkwardly approached the man.

"Hi," he replied as he just barely glanced at me and then continued to keep his eyes forward, focusing on his task of leading a reindeer that was pulling a cart full of items, with a young girl and old man casually riding on top of the potential hazard. "No offense, but why are you so dressed up? Is there some sort of special occasion going on that I don't know about, or are you just filthy rich?"

I giggled silently, placing my hand over my mouth as I always did. "Both, actually. I can't believe you don't know. Today is the day of my sister Anna's coronation. Why did think so many people are arriving in Arendelle and chatting excitedly?"

"I don't know... Maybe they were here looking for job opportunities?" He suddenly came to a halt, and the reindeer just barely stopped in his tracks in time to prevent a tragic accident. The guy stared at me with wide eyes. "Wait... You're... YOU'RE A PRINCESS?!"

"Well, yes, but I wouldn't make a big deal out of it. It's not like I'm a queen or anything."

"Yeah, I'm _only _just a princess who's sister is soon becoming the queen and get everything I want."

"Hey!" I was slightly amused by his sarcasm, but I was also offended. "If I got everything that I want, then why are my parents dead and my sister won't even look me in the eye for no reason that I can comprehend?!"

The man blushed and gazed down at his shoes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't judge. That was wrong of me."

I smiled kindly, letting him know that I forgave him. "It's alright. I sometimes also accidentally judge people. It's just good to keep in mind that although it may seem like someone has it made, they're probably going though something that you had no idea about. It's also good to keep what judgement you've made to yourself and remember that that's most likely not truth."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." He continued to walk, and I followed.

"Sorry, I got so caught up in our conversation that I forgot to ask for your name."

"My name is Jack," he answered, chuckling lightly.

"I'm Elsa."

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you."

We continued our conversation, until we soon arrived at the home he was moving into. "Well, I probably should go."

"Yeah. So, is there any place where we could continue talking after the coronation?"

"Actually, there is. We're going to celebrate my sister becoming a queen by ice skating before sunset."

"I'll be there."

"Alright. Goodbye!"

"Bye!" The last thing that I heard from Jack after I left was him command the older man riding on the cart, who turned out to be his grandpa, and a young girl, who I assumed to be his sister, to help him haul the contents of the wagon into the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Elsa

Time had flown by, and before I knew it, I was making the long trek to the frozen lake. As I walked up the path leading to my destination, I breathed in the thin and icy, yet refreshing air around me. I sighed, relishing and finding comfort in the peaceful atmosphere. I gazed at my surroundings. In front of me lay the winding stone path that would help guide me to the icy rink. A small grass clearing and then a forest coated in snow rested by my sides. I glanced behind me, looking back at the castle, which suddenly seemed to be very small because of the distance I put myself between it. All of the sudden, the fears and troubles that constantly pestered me seemed to become small, and that the past now longer mattered. I also noticed a woman and whining son approaching. They passed by, not even noticing that they were in the presence of one of Arendelle's princesses because of their argument. The boy wished to dress as lightly as possible, but his mom was begging for him to wear his fur coat.

I chuckled silently to myself, understanding how he felt. After all, the cold never bothered me. But I still had to dress appropriately in order not to concern other people. I didn't really understand the reason behind my tolerance, but whenever I brought the matter up to my parents, they only gave me vague and hardly understandable explanations that I finally had come to accept.

However, I knew that there defiantly was a major difference between us two, besides the complaining, of coarse. While I figured that I would continue to not be bothered by the cold, the boy would most certainly be freezing and come crying to his mother, wishing that he had been less stubborn and taken her advice in the first place. I learned the lesson to pay attention to my mother's advice years before him, but my wisdom was more important to gain, considering that I was a princess. I got lost in my train of thought, accidentally leading myself to relive my past.

I thought of how my sister Anna and I would build snowmen named Olaf, bound from snow mound to snow mound, and sled down steep hills. I also vividly recalled all the fun that we had until something changed that. I couldn't remember what had happened to make my sister avoid me, even though I dug as deep into my memories as I could. And yet, there still seemed to be something missing from the flashbacks, as if someone had managed to get inside my head and manipulate my thoughts, transforming some of them into lies, of half-truths. I shook my head as if to shake off the thought, and continued forward, taking note of my surroundings. It was then that I was surprised to spot a large crowd not too far from me, waiting for the party to begin.

I was embarrassed and even at little shocked to be late, but fortunately the crowd parted as if they were that Red Sea and let me through. I made the journey across the frozen lake surprisingly easily. I didn't even slip one time! That was the funny thing about winter; it always seemed to favor me over others. While villagers may slip and fall into the freezing snow, I was never bothered or harmed by it.

I was soon standing next to my sister, who was looking over at the people in front of her. We were announced by one of the royal servants, and then the party began.

People eagerly made their way onto the frozen arena. Perhaps they were a little too eager, for there was a lot of pushing and shoving going on. And with pushing and shoving came falling, and other acts of recklessness. But I couldn't blame them for being excited. It was the first time that the gates opened and a party was held, after all. And on top of that, my sister was just recently crowned the queen of Arendelle.

I glanced over at Anna, disheartened at the slight frown lurking on the new Queen's facial expression.

"So…" I trailed off awkwardly, trying to think of something to say that would start the first conversation that I would have with my sister in years. I was excited to have the chance to talk to Anna for the first time in what seemed like forever, but I also feared that I would say the wrong thing and mess up what would have been an amazing opportunity. So I eventually just decided to play it safe and congratulate her for becoming Queen. After all, that couldn't do any harm, right? "Congratulations on becoming a queen. That must be exciting."

"Yes, it is," she murmured, adverting her eyes from my hopeful gaze.

"It's nice when the gates are open," I stated, hoping that she would get my hint.

"I agree." It could have been my imagination, but it looked like her lips began to curl into a slight smile. Suddenly, the pleasant expression dropped and turned into a look of worried fright. "Wait, are you sure that the ice won't crack? There is a lot of weight for it to endure."

"Uhh…" I began to say, but was then interrupted when Jack came up to me, and I apologetically left Anna to go skate with him.

We glided across the icy surface for a couple hours, with many candles surrounding the lake to light the way in the darkening night. Skaters were laughing, chatting, and even dancing as they enjoyed themselves, most likely having one of the best times of their lives.

But that all ended when a thundering, ear-splitting _crack!_ echoed throughout the rink.

Everyone froze in fear and looked down at their feet to make sure that they were not in extreme danger. When I lifted my gaze upwards, it met Jack's in the utter silence. But instead of its usually quirky look, it was solemn and knowing.

"_Jack_," I whispered in disbelief. I felt tears began to silently trickle from my eyes, and willingly let them come. I looked downwards at Jack's feet, and knew to my horror that my fears were confirmed. There, lurking threateningly under him, was the giant crack that pierced through the ice and could become a passage to what lay underneath the icy surface.

People began to run, but I barely even noticed. My heart pounded wildly against my chest as if it were making an escape attempt. The shouts and cries of people hurriedly rushing off the lake was just a low murmur, but the sound of the ice slowly cracking apart rang sharp and clear in my ears. I could feel my lungs slowly pulsating as time itself began to stop. My thoughts became numb as I watched the ice slowly cave in. There was only one thing that I could think of and say, which was, "Jack!" As I said his name, my thoughts started to become clearer and I began to come out of my trance. "Jack! Jack!" Another thought wormed its way into my mind. "Jack! Jack! JACK!" I shouted his name until it was the only thing I heard. I still couldn't think much, but I did know one thing. I knew that I had to save him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Let me start of by saying that I am SO SO SO SO SO very sorry! I'm super lazy and still need to get my thoughts together. But, although I feel the need to make an excuse for why I updated so late, there really is no excuse. Sorry! *sobs dramatically* I'll try to update more, but I can't make any promises. And thank you so much Luvy Duvy for taking your time to give me a review! That means so much to me! :) And again, I apologize for not updating soon, and I will hopefully do my best to correct that mistake.**

**Well, anyways, lets get on with the story. This chapter is in Jack's point of view.**

* * *

Jack

I remember darkness. It swirled around me, gently brushing against me with its cool, icy touch. That is all I knew. I did not notice that I was unable to breathe. I paid no attention to my discomfort. All that I focused on was the darkness and its cold.

I laid suspended in the darkness as it brushed its cold, deadly hand in what seemed to be a lovingly fashion. I could forget all of my worries there. I could I forget that I was poor. I could shut out the memories of pain. I could ignore the fact that I had to help provide for my family while my parents were away looking for better job opportunities. I could forget it all as I rested in the darkness. I could stay in its numbness, pretending that its lethal touch was actually comforting and bringing me to life. I could stay there in its presence and-

Those thoughts stopped as a shock of cold- but a good cold, unlike the fake cold that belonged to the darkness- raced down my body and I came to a realization. Yes, I could give in to the darkness; and yes, I could try and forget my problems. _But then what? That's not living! I don't want to hide from life! I want to go out there and live! I want to notice the dew shining brightly and birds chirping their lovely song after the afternoon rain! I want to know that, even though life may not be great at the moment, there is beauty for me during and after the storm if I just allow myself to see it._

The darkness didn't want me to live! It wanted me to go down with it! It didn't care about me!

But I know who did. My family and friends were out there waiting for me to come from the darkness and into the light.

I thought of my younger sister. I thought of her smile and her smile and laughter. I realized how terrible it would be if that was gone.

I remembered Elsa, who was waiting on me to come back.

_No. I must get through this. I must come back no matter how much effort it takes. _I knew that as a fact.

Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled out of the darkness. I gasped, desperately trying to catch my breath. A swirl of sounds came to my ears. I heard the splash of water, screaming of frightened people, and something else. I focused on it.

"-ack! Jack!" It was Elsa calling my name! My eyes flew open, and a flurry of colors entered my vision. I stood up without really realizing it, and looked up at her.

Elsa's face was pale, and round. Her vibrant blue eyes sparkled like a snowflake glinting in the sunlight, and a few light freckles dotted her nose. Her pink lips were pressed together in a look of worry. Elsa wore her snow-white hair in a thick braid that rested over her right shoulder, tied together with a crystal-clear hair band. Her patterned dress and coat were made up of many different hues of blue.

"Are you okay?" she questioned, snapping me out of my short trance.

"Uh, yeah. I- I'm fine." It wasn't really the truth, but I didn't really feel like mentioning what had occurred when I was surrounded in the lake's icy coolness. I was about to convince myself to say something, when I paused. I noticed that the crack of ice was heading towards Elsa's older sister, Anna.

"But I'm not so sure that she is."


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay! Another chapter! Sorry for the short chapter, but at least the next one looks like it's going to be a longer one! I sadly do not own How to Train Your Dragon. :'( **

**Without further ado, here is chapter four of Gold and Black!**

Elsa

There was something different about Jack when he burst fourth from the lake's icy grasp, but I just couldn't figure it out. I didn't really have time to let my mind wander as chaos was going on around me. But the thought lingered in my mind, and it nearly drove me insane.

That thought was put aside as the thought of what had just happened when I grasped Jack's hand entered my mind. I had felt a shock of cold travel from me to Jack, as if something had clicked, causing a power to travel from me to Jack. But I saw that as a ridiculous explanation. _That's not even possible! Right? _But I made myself stop pondering the event, and forced my mind to think about the present. Then, I noticed that my sister was in danger because of the advancing break in the ice. The lake had almost taken one victim, and I wouldn't let it take another.

After a brief pause, I rushed to come to Anna's aid. When I had arrived at her side, something came over me and I shouted, "Stop!" as I put my hands out in front of me to face the crack in the ice. To my surprise, the crack came to a stop and froze over where it was dangerously close to me and Anna. That seemed strange, but I would have to worry about that later. Anna was more important.

"Are you all right?" I asked, turning to face her.

My sister's eyes went wide with fear, and she backed away from me.

"Wha- what is it?!" I questioned. "I don't know what just happened, but we can figure it out together!"

Anna just continued to retreat away from me, ignoring my comforting words.

"There's nothing to be afraid of!"

"Yes, there is." She replied nervously but coldly, putting her hands out in front of her as if she needed them for protection.

"Well, then what is it?"

"_You._" Anna's voice was quiet, but the mixture of anger and fear swirled inside of that single word made it feel like she had slapped me in the face. Then, she turned away and ran.

"Anna, wait!" I shouted. I thought about running after her, but I knew that it would be useless to do so at the moment. Besides, I suddenly had a panicking kingdom, along with many visitors, to take care of. I choked back a sob as I once again saw my own sister leave me.


	5. Chapter 5

Anna

I shivered and held my cloak against me. My breath came as a swirl of mist that twirled through the air.

I saw what looked like a few specks of dust spinning in the air out of the corner of my eye. I froze, knowing what that meant. _No. Not again! I thought that I got rid of him!_

A chilling laugh sent shivers down my spine. A tall man appeared in front of me, his ghostly white skin standing out against spiky black hair and dark clothing. "Well, then, you thought wrong."

"How did you-"

"It's obvious that you began to believe that you had gotten rid of me. You started to act a little more brave by going out at night, tiptoeing past your sister's room. You started to gain a little more - what's the word? - _confidence_." Most of the man's words came out as a dull purr, but the last word came out as a taunting hiss.

I took a deep, shivery breath as she tried to search for the confidence deep inside me. "You're- you're not welcome here, Pitch."

Another deep chuckle came from Pitch as he glided towards me. Then why did you invite me here?"

"What- I- I didn't…"

Pitch moved in front of me and crouched down to peer into my eyes. "That's what I thought," he said as he stood back up.

"What are you talking about?!"

Pitch began to pace, our gazes locked on to each other's the whole time. "You have heard the saying that you should always follow your heart, haven't you?"

"Y- yes. I- I have."

"Good. Then you should understand the reason why I brought you here. You see, Anna, your heart has been frozen over with fear for many years. And the more you give in to your fear, the more your heart is frozen. The fear has changed your heart, molding it into something new." Pitch chuckled. "Something… _wonderful_."

Judging by the way that he said '_wonderful_', I guessed that it really wasn't that wonderful after all. But if saying that word brought Pitch enjoyment, then it must have been an advantage to him.

"The heart's desire to protect has been twisted to become the desire to only care about yourself. After all, why should everyone else have the enjoyment of leisure when you have been suffering all along?"

_No,_ I told myself. _Don't give in to what he's saying. He's lying. People are allowed to be happy. After all, it is my own self who has kept me from happiness._ But I felt a tugging inside of me that told me to believe in what Pitch was saying. I knew that it was a lie and tried not to give in to it, but the tugging at my heart was strong and hard to resist. I didn't know how much longer I could go without being manipulated into believing Pitch.

"The heart is very powerful. You may not have called me here, but your heart sure did. And the heart wants what the heart wants. It won't back down very easily."

"_Stop._"

"What did you say?" Pitch turned sharply towards me and raised an eyebrow.

"You heard me. Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Stop talking."

"And why is that? Are you too weak to handle the truth?"

"No, I am not. I just don't want to hear your lies anymore. So. Just. go. Away!"

My thoughts were conflicted and I couldn't stand to think at the moment. I felt like I was at the verge of becoming mad.

"Alright then. But consider my offer. We could make a great team, you know. Join me, and you will survive. If you do not… Well, let's just say that that won't end well." Pitch laughed. "Goodbye, Anna. I hope that you will make the right decision by joining me. See you later." And with that, Pitch disappeared into a cloud of black sand.

"I'll never join you," I mumbled. But some part of me said otherwise.


	6. Chapter 6

Elsa

"Don't worry. She'll be back. Right?"

"I'm not so sure, Jack. She was very frightened. But why? Do- do you think that she was afraid of me?"

"Of course not! Why would would she be afraid of you?"

"I- I don't know." I lied.

"She's probably just stressed from the responsibility of being a queen, that's all. I'm sure that it had nothing to do with you."

"I sure hope so."

I sat down on my bed, thinking. Jack _had_ said that my sister hadn't run away because of me, but that was just one opinion. Besides, he didn't know that my sister would always try to avoid me. If that had been caused by fear… Why was she afraid of me in the first place? Was I a terrible person? No one else seemed to think that. But I was also a princess. Maybe people didn't want to offend me and get in trouble for doing so?

I felt a cold presence in my room. "Who's there?!" I demanded. But I didn't get to say anything more because I felt something slam against my head and I blacked out.

I woke up with a throbbing head. "_Ow,_" I muttered, trying to rub my head. But then I realized something. My hands were locked and chained to the floor. _So _not _cool._ Whoever kidnapped me was going to pay for this. I was sure of it. "Whoever has kidnapped me, come forth and show yourself! You've already been an idiot as it is."

"Are you sure about that, princess?" A figure emerged from the shadows. "With the queen and the princess gone, Arendelle will be vulnerable to attack."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Would I?" He chuckled. "It seems to me that you are the stupid one. After all, you spared me the work of getting rid of the queen in an instant! And for that, I must thank you for your marvelous deed."

"Shut up."

"_Excuse me?_ Is that a way to treat a prince?"

"Is this a way to treat a princess?"

"Wow. What happened to the happy person that I once knew?"

"She went away the moment she was kidnapped. Wait… I know you! Hans! _What happened to you?_"

"I realized that I could be so much more than just a prince who won't inherit the throne. I could have actual power. You could join me as my wife, you know. We could rule together."

I gagged. "In your dreams."

"Alright, then. I guess you'll just have to die. It's a pity, really. Oh well. Goodbye forever."

"What?! Die?! Don't- Don't you think that you're being a little dramatic?"

"Don't you see, Anna? I'm the one being perfectly reasonable." And with that, Hans left.

"I hate you!" I called, even though I knew that the chances of him being able to hear me were very small. I also knew that I had to escape before I was killed. Yeah, I definitely didn't want to be killed.

I didn't want to be killed! _I didn't want to be killed! I didn't want to be killed! I didn't want-_

All of the sudden, a surge of energy rushed through me and blasts of ice shot out of my hands, freezing the handcuffs that covered them. I broke the handcuffs, not staying to watch them shatter. Relying on my newly found energy and power, I Broke through every wall and door that got in my way. Once I entered the wilderness, I didn't look back. I ran where my heart told me to go, and ended up standing in a strange cove covered in boulders.

"Well, now that I'm here, I might as well rest." I told myself.

But then, something strange happened. The rocks began to move toward me! They moved at a fast pace, seeming like they would attack. I screamed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Bystander**

Pitch growled. "Not funny, Sandman! Would you please stop playing your silly little games? I _know _that you're the man in the moon. Well, at least you are now. And, of course, you just have to make things harder for me, don't you? That was clever of you; that I will admit. But, seriously? Every time one of the sisters act happier, or is on your side, the other one will come to my side, and visa versa! This makes this impossible for me! Do you understand?! Of course you do! Oh, will you please speak up?"

Sandy didn't respond.

"Oh, right. I forgot. Sorry." Pitch paused, and then returned to his rant. "And so when Elsa is acting more like I would, Anna acts more like you! Well, I'm through with this! I _will_ find a way to stop this terrible catastrophe! I will!" Pitch stormed off. He glared at me. "What are you doing here?!"

I ran.

**Elsa**

The rocks turned out to be trolls. Trolls! I knew that they were real. Although, that wasn't really a surprise. I always had a fascination for fairytales. When I was alone, they were my only friends. They became real in my dreams. In my imagination, the so-called fairy tales came alive.

"Hello, Dearie! What seems to be the problem?" The rock-troll girl smiled warmly, like she was sending her own ray of sunshine to light the way.

"You're-you're trolls! You exist! I knew it!" I was jumping up and down with excitement.

"Yes, we are! Are you lost?"

"Um… I guess so."

"Where do you live?"

"In the castle of Arendelle."

The troll-girl gasped. "You're from Arendelle? Are you royalty?"

"Stand back. Give her some space." The crowd parted to let an old troll through. "This is Elsa, the princess of Arendelle."

Lots of excited gasped burst throughout the crowd.

"Yes, yes. She is a princess. Sorry, they don't get to see royalty very often. The last time royalty was here- Well, nevermind. Forget that. You have to go back to Arendelle, Elsa."

"I know."

"Yes, but there's more to it than just that. Your sister is in danger. You have to go find her."

"Yes, of course."

"There's still more. You are getting your memory back, so be prepared. You are about to realize who you were. Also, you must practice using your ice powers. They will come in handy."

"Oh. Ok. I'll just go." I began to leave.

"Wait! Remember fear! He can't control you!"

I was gone.

**Jack**

The town went insane. With both the princesses gone and no king or queen to rule, some prince named Hans decided to take over. I didn't like didn't seem right to me. Then again, he was royalty. There were a lot of messed-up royals out there.

I was busy helping my grandpa and younger sister move into our new home when Elsa arrived. I followed her. She disappeared into the castle, only to appear moments later with a cloak and and a horse. I stopped her. "Wait! Where are you going?"

Elsa glanced at me and then hopped onto the back of her horse. "I am going to find my sister.

"Well, then let me come with you."

"What?"

"Well, why not? That way, you won't have to be alone."

Elsa paused for a moment, considering my offer. Finally, she said, "Fine. I'll go get you a horse and then we can be on our way."


	8. Chapter 8

**IT'S ALLLLLIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVEEEEEEE! Wow. I haven't updated for almost a year. But I'm back to bring you this chapter! I'm going to try to finish this story, but considering the time that it took for me to get myself to write another chapter, no promises. After a year of abandoning fanfiction, here is the eighth chapter of Gold and Black.**

Anna

I huffed, attempting to let out all my anger and frustration in a single motion. It helped, but I was still tense. Seeing Pitch had triggered something inside of me that I forgot even existed, and I was ashamed of its reality. As much as I hated Pitch, he was one of my closest friends, especially after my parents' death. He was there to make me feel better, to tell me that I was right and others were wrong. Even though he cast fear on others, he was one of the few people I wasn't afraid to be with. His fear gave me a comfort, an excuse. Pitch favored me. Unlike others whom he taunted, I was lucky. I was the one whom he told was always right, that it was someone else's fault and not my own.

But fear still caught up to me. I was scared of my own sister, who remembered nothing of the incident that had happened years ago. It wasn't fair to leave her out of my life, but I was more afraid of her powers than I was of Pitch's dark manipulations. Perhaps I was a victim of one of them myself. Maybe that was why as much as I tried to dislike him, I kept on coming back. He could be very persuasive. And like he said, my frozen heart couldn't remember what the sun was like.

I winced, watching as the barn door creaked open and blinding rays of white light entered my field of vision. (Had the night really passed already?) Another thing that I remembered was that eyes who are adjusted to dark light can find bright light to be painful. I wondered if that applied to the metaphorical world as well.

Jack

We were down to one horse, and it was slightly my fault. But only slightly. I would admit to no more than that. Long story short, I may or may not have almost led my horse across an icy and cracking lake. The horse got away, taking some of my pride along with it. My excuse was that the lake was hidden underneath snow and there was no way that I could have known of its presence. But that didn't stop Elsa from glaring at me as I sat behind her on her horse. I wrapped my arms around her waist to make sure that I didn't fall off of the speeding steed. I found myself pressing my face into her shoulder. Her dress may have looked icy, but actually oh my goodness it was sooooooo soft. . . I don't think she like that.

Finally, once the orange sky melted into navy blue, Elsa slowed the horse down to a stop and tied it to a nearby tree. After she fed it with what came from a bag attached to the horse's saddle, she looked at me and announced that she was going to get firewood. By herself.

I protested. "But you can't go alone! You could get hurt!" I lowered my voice on instinct. "Do you even know what lives in these woods?"

Elsa blinked, displaying a look of consideration. "Ok, then maybe we shouldn't stop to rest at all."

My jaw dropped. "What?! You want us to continue on sleep-deprived?"

"If this forest is as dangerous as you think it is, then it wouldn't be good for us to be asleep and unaware of our surroundings."

I was about to suggest that we sleep in shifts, but then got distracted as flecks of gold danced across the skies. They shone brightly against the darkness and danced more joyfully than the stars. Breathlessly, I said, "Go ahead and sleep. I'll keep watch for a while." And watched I did. I stayed up and glanced up in awe at those little shining stars.

Hans

My knuckles paled as and hands gripped the railing on the balcony tighter, my scowl increasing in intensity as as I watched the golden stars dance by. I had underestimated the princess, and because of that she had gotten away. On the bright side, I hadn't seen her in Arendelle. But I had a feeling that she'd be back. Whether she came back with an army by her side or not didn't matter. She had strong powers that were a force not to be reckoned with. But in my case, I would have to fight against her and her powers in order to fulfill my destiny. I may have been the last in line to inherit the throne, but I would rule. I'd have to make sure of that.

A dark figure appeared by my side. Without turning towards me, he said, "Need some help?"


End file.
